Lithic Knot - Jeongok Prehistoric Museum

View of the Precipice Court.

On the ground level, the main public foyer and circulation spaces are situated around this court creating a dynamic and animated space.

A series of 'inside-outside' transitional spaces are created between the foyer and court.

The vertical circulation has also been designed to engage with it, with a long escalator gradually rising up on the north side and a sequence of stair landings acting as viewing platforms on the south-east side.

Above the main foyer and circulation space is a void that doubles as both a light well and elevated viewing platform both towards the basalt precipice and the river Hantan.

The design formally and spatially derives from the experience it carves out for the visitor.

The starting point for the design was the notion of a linear sequence, akin to the linearity of time.

By creating a chronologically-organized exhibition of sequential spaces, the experience and flow of visitors can be smoothly controlled.

This format of visitor experience lends itself to the exhibition of the Jeongokri site remains and the natural history of human evolution display.

View of the Cafe and viewing deck in the upper volume.

By folding the sequence of linear time however, the present could be seen to have an interactive coexistence with history.

Past and present are materialized into two volumes -- the lower volume being used for the exhibition space while the one above providing for a viewing platform and cafeteria.

At the point where the past and present volumes intersect, a vertical connection is made thus creating a potential loop in time. At this meeting point the main exhibition hall displaying over 300 Paleolithic remains is located, creating a continuous internal circulation loop, connected to a series of external circulation loops that encourages a dynamic visitor experience.

The open-ended volumes representing the past and present are integrated into the topography of the site.

At each of these points the circulation route bifurcates thus allowing visitors the option of continuing into the next exhibition space or of connecting to a circuit loop to one of the external site programs.

Credits

• Text: Courtesy of the architect
• Computer rendered images: Courtesy of the architect
• Compiled and edited by Varun Ajani

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